"The Spirit of God is Upon Us" Luke 4:14-21 1/25/04

Have you ever felt like you were having such a bad day that you needed to hear some good news? You've watched the news on TV nothing good there. You've had one of those bad days at work - do I have to go back there one more day. Your best friend called with a problem that she thought you could help with? Not one more thing today. It's cold out again, and it's one of those gloomy Pittsburgh winter days. Give us good news we cry.

Tonight's gospel reading is a word of good news for people who have been waiting a long time to hear good news. Good news for the people who heard it when Jesus first spoke the words. Good news for us. Good news that something new was about to begin. Things were going to change. In his inaugural address Jesus tells the people this: "The Spirit of God is upon me, because God has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, and has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to those who are blind, to set at liberty those who are oppress, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." Those were words of liberation to the people who heard them long ago, and they are words of liberation for us today. No sooner were the words out of the mouth of Jesus than he went forth to live them. He would talk to a woman at well - not done in his day. He would touch a leper - not done in his day. Before to long people would receive their hearing, other their sight, and still others would be freed from those things that kept them captive. In his inaugural address Jesus not only gave them the words of his mission, he went forth to live them each and every day. Liberation would not come for an easy price however - as a matter of fact it would cost Jesus his life. But even in his death, liberation came through resurrection and eternal life for all. So what do we do with these words? Can we claim them as good news for our lives?

I would suggest to you that the day each one of us came through the doors of MCC these words became our good news. Think about your own life right now. How have you experienced the good news of liberation? For many of us that liberation came when we opened up the closet door and claimed our lives as good and holy. For others us our liberation came when we ended our a-lone-ness and became part of a community. For some of us liberation happened when we let God back in our lives. For yet others of us liberation happened when we were freed from the things that kept us bound in old habits and unhealthy ways of living. The good news of liberation lives in our lives and the life of our faith community. So tonight think about any areas of your life where you still need to experience liberation. Pray about them. Name them. And then open the doors to let the good news in - the Spirit of God is upon us.

Just as Jesus went forth to live the words of liberation we too are called to walk the road of liberation. Look around you and see who needs to know the good news of liberation. Who in your life, your family, your circle of friends needs you to bring good news? I heard of some people this past week who raised money to help someone who was in a difficult situation. That's liberation. When we help out in a ministry in our church. That's liberation. When we reach out in love to someone still held hostage in the closet. That's liberation. When we raise money, vote, right letter to our congress people - That's liberation. When we act to make all people equal, when we go that extra mile to help someone in need, when we stand up for justice and peace - that's liberation.

The Spirit of God is upon us. There are still poor people awaiting good news of liberation. There are still gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people awaiting the good news of liberation. There are still people held captives by habits that enslave awaiting good news of liberation. There are still people who are oppressed by others awaiting good news of liberation. Today the scripture must be fulfilled. We are the ones who must each and every day be willing to live lives that bring the good news of liberation, in our words, through our actions, in the core of our being good news must be nurtured.